Houston entrepreneurs climb list of fastest-growing private companies

More than 100 Houston-based companies were featured on the 2014 Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies.
Gridiron Financial

Patrick Ryan is the co-owner of The Ticket Experience which came in at No. 945 on Inc.'s 2014 list of the fastest-growing private companies.
Courtesy photo

Charlie Chanaratsopon, left, shown with Judi Langley and Suchit Majmudar, is the founder of Houston-based accessories retailer Charming Charlie.
Photo by William Yao

With more than 100 Houston-area companies featured on the 2014 Inc. 5000 — a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation — the city's most successful entrepreneurs are getting the recognition they deserve.

Inc. magazine, a monthly publication focused on growing companies, ranks the companies based on revenue growth percentage between 2010 and 2013.

Topping the list for Houston-based private companies featured on the list is PPT Fiberglass at No. 299. PPT Fiberglass provides fiber-reinforced plastics and fiberglass grating to companies in the oil and gas, wastewater treatment, marine and construction industries.

PPT Fiberglass has grown its revenue more than 1,900 percent from $120,000 in 2010 to $2.5 million in 2013. The company, which currently has three employees, was founded in 2010 and ranks No. 3 among manufacturing companies on the list and No. 18 of the 404 Texas companies featured.

According to Inc., the Bayou City ranks No. 6 on their list of Top 10 Cities for Fast-Growth Companies, with 76 of the 102 Houston-area companies located within city limits. Although Houston is known for its focus on the energy sector, most of the locally-based private companies featured on the 2014 list are related to the tech and manufacturing industries.

Another company featured on the list is The Ticket Experience at No. 954 — No. 15 in Houston — which invests in sports teams' season ticket packages and sells the inventory on a game-by-game basis to websites like StubHub.com. The company, which has 11 employees, has grown 473 percent over the past three years with a 2013 revenue of $21 million.

Charming Charlie, a locally-based fashion accessories retailer with over 280 locations across the country, came in at No. 2002 on Inc.'s list. The retailer has grown more than 200 percent since 2010 with $431 million in revenue in 2013 and currently has 7,125 employees.

Visit Inc.'s site for the complete list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies.